A Mountain View To Die For!

Where do I begin filling you in on the last 4-6 weeks? It’s been a whirlwind of fun and adventure as we have just finished welcoming our last round of family visitors before we are headed back home, as well as the sad good-byes that come with those dreaded airport departures.

~Before I post on our time with family, I must tell you about our trip to the mountains that began the month of April for us. Yes, I drive into the mountains on a weekly basis to get Hunter from the Academy, but never have I/we been to the TOP of one! As I’ve reported before, we have been so blessed with safety, great experiences, and circumstances that can only be explained by our God who has gone ahead of us every step of this journey, and that includes the wonderful people with which we have come in contact that are just as much a part of our story as anything else. One of those people is John Lombardo, the owner of the beachfront apartment we rented on our initial visit to PR last summer. Having several rentals, John welcomes visitors to the island on a monthly basis; however, he has been so nice to extend an extra show of support toward me, my mother, and the kids since we set ourselves up here in August. He had invited us to his mountain home early in our stay, but it was not until Spring Break that it fit in to everyone’s schedule. I have marked this as one of MY favorite adventures of our time on the island. Perhaps the most amazing part of this story is that my old van made it! We followed John, his son, and mother-in-law some 3,000 feet above sea level to a destination point that took our breath away! As we exited the main highway, it took us another 45 minutes to an hour on the winding roads to the top of the mountain. To get the feel of it, I must explain that we were in the heart of pure, Latin/Caribbean culture. No new architecture, but what would be considered poor housing by most standards, in all colors of concrete, porches and balconies with hanging clothes, and dilapidated cars along the side or front yards, but most always a friendly face when you see one. There’s the occasional panderia (bakery) that may look old and run down, but serves up the best pastries, fresh bread, and coffee you’ve ever tasted.  All this, with the backdrop of lush, tropical greenery, and your only thought is, “what a cultural experience”!  We were entering the islands coffee region and drove past hillsides of coffee growers, as well as orange and grapefruit trees; we even came across a free-roaming peacock to add to the beauty and wonder of it all. As we finally reached Johns little mountain home, I was convinced we weren’t in PR anymore, but somewhere in the Alps! Not just the heights we had reached, but the charm of the little Swiss style chalet that awaited our afternoon visit. It was splendid!! The views were AMAZING!!! Lunch was all fresh meats in the outdoor brick oven, fresh bread from the panderia, and fresh salad greens with walnut oil and vinegar dressing. Hunter and Wyatt took off immediately with John’s son Angelo exploring this mountain vista we had all to ourselves, or so it seemed. Mom and I were in awe not only at the views but with the grounds and what he grew: coffee, wild raspberries, blackberries, grapes, passion fruit called “parcha”, mulberries, lemons, guava, plantains, bananas, and spices of all kind. Within an hour, and thankfully after taking all the pics we wanted, we were literally in the clouds, as the white air came wafting through the door and windows and we could literally see only in front us of. It was awesome!  

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is his for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.   ~Psalm 95

A stop at the panderia for fresh pastries before heading uphill! This is mom and our host for the day, John. Look, mom's already taking a bite. It's that good:)

The beautiful peacock we spotted along the road. It jumped on the gaurdrail as we took the pic.

The wonderful little "chalet" we finally reached! Not all houses in the mountains of PR look as charming.



Hunter walking among the coffee rows --- it had already been harvested for the season

   




Wyatt look on lunch in the brick oven!



Mom shows off the spoils of wild fruit the boys brought back! (holding wild raspberries)



Bye for now........j.

CHECK BACK EVERY FEW DAYS FOR BLOG INSTALLMENTS AS I TRY TO CATCH UP FROM THE PAST MONTH OR SO. I DON’T WANT TO “BLOG YOU DOWN” IN ONE POST!